Apparatus for producing rain.



Patemed Oct. 8, l90l. W. F. WRIGHT.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING RAIQ.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1900.) k

2 Sheets-Shut I.

(No Model.)

IN VE N 70/? WITNESSES A new rs Patentedfict. 8, l90l. W. F. WRlGHT.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING RAW.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' IN VENTOH w/msssss I ATTORNEYS tlrvrrnn raves Regent @FHQE.

. WILLIAM FRANCIS \VRIGIIT, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

APPARATU$ FOR PRODUCBNG RAEN.

srnczrzcnrzou forming part of Letters?atent no. es4,030, dated October 8, 19,01.

Application fi ed December 28, 1900- Serial No.

To all whom if may (run (107-11:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FRANCIS WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Producing Rain, do, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a uovelapparatus for firing explosive charges into the atmos-.. phere for the purpose of producing rain at will and to bring about other beneficial moteorologieal ell'ects, as the prevention and destruction of hail-storms, tornadoes, drouths, hot winds, frosts, forest and prairie lires, and for the modification of atmospheric conditions, largely preventing spontaneous combustion, and for the purpose of sustaining vegetation and for sanitary and other purposes.

To this end the invention comprises a form of mortar from which charges may be lired upward into the atmosphere, the mortar being also capable of dischargingabomb which by a time-fuse or like means may be caused to explode near the surface or at a low altitude, thus forming upward currents of air and supplying deliciencies of gases necessary to the various ellects desired.

This specification isa spccilic description of one form of the invention, while the claims are definitions of the actual scope thereof.

- Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an elcvational view of the in vention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view with parts in section, showing the baseof the apparatus. Fig. is a sectional plan on the line 8 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. is a vertical section on the same scale as that of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on the line 5 5 ol Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of the barrel of the mortar.

7 represents a base of any suitable con struction, but preferably hollow, to support the working parts of the apparatus. Opposite side walls of this base are extended upward to form cheek-pieces 7, and between these cheek-pieces 7 is mounted to slide a carrier 8, hav notches in its sides, which 41,367. (No model.)

receive ribs 9 on the adjacent inner sides of the walls of the base 7, so as to guide the carrier 8 in moving vertically. The carrier-8 is connected by links 10 with a foot-lever 11, mounted in the lower portion of the base 7, and by manipulating this foot-lever the carrier may benaised or lowered, as. indicated in Figs. 2 and t. \Vhen the carrier is raised, as shown in it is sustained by a key 12, which bears on theurpper edges of the front and back walls of the base 7 and engages beneath the carrier. \Vhen it is desired to lower the carrier, the key 12 is withdrawn, and then the carrier will drop by gravity to the position shown in Fig. :3.

On 'the;carrier S is arranged a bed it, sustaining the breech-block 15 of the mortar.-

lhe bednl-zt has a curved rib 14. at its rear,

against which the breech-block l5 bears, thus holding the breech-block in proper position,- as will be l'iene-ihai'tcr fully explained. Susiainod on the. cheeknews 7 by arms 1c is the breech l7 ofthe mortar: 'lhis is arranged.

over the carrier 8 and bc l. 'l-t and is adapted to have the brecclnblock 15 moved up under it when the parts are in operative position,as shown in Fig. l. The brecch-block'lo has an annular rib 15 at its top, which fits in a corresponding groove 17 in the lower end of the breech 17, and the breech-block is formed with a touch-hole 15" to permit the tiring of.

the charge, the outer end ot'.tire touch-hole t communicating with a cup 18, asapted, to receive a priming charge, with W! :011 a fuse of any suitable sort should. comm unicatc.

'lhe mortar may be loaded either with a cartridge or with a powder charge rammed into place. It is immaterial as far as my in-- vention is concerned which of the two is employed. In- Fig. 4 I have illustrated the breech of the mortar filled with a powder charge. It is obvious that the same effect will'be attained by a cartridge litted into the breech, as in an ordinary cannon. W'hen it is desired to clean or otherwise adjust the parts, the key 12 may be drawn out of post tion and the carrier 8, with its bed 14 and breech-block 15, lowered. The breech-block may he moved oil? oi the bed Li, and then it a cartridge is emplo ed this cartridge may be inserted from below, after which the breechblock may be replaced. The mortar may also p and scope of my invention.

1. -A concussion-mortar, having a base, a

be charged from the top by removing the barrels and other parts which are arranged above the breech.

Fastened onto the breech '17 by bayonet slots 19, engaging pins 17" on the breech 17, is an inner or minor barrel 19, which forms a continuation of the mortar-breech 17 and serves to'direc't the charge upward from the breech. This inner or minor barrel 19 may also serve to carry an explosive bomb 20, which is illustrated in Fig. 4. This bomb is arranged on the top of the breech 17, so as to be fired into the air from the breech. The bomb may be of any construction desired and filled with a gas necessary to supply the deficiencies of the atmosphere occurring at various times and to assist in forming upward currents of'air. To liberate thisgas within the bomb, asmall tube is aff xed to the inner part of the bomb and charged with gunpowder 21 to be fired by time-fuse 2:2, 'so'fthat at the proper moment the bomb is exploded and the gas within the bomb is liberated tdassist in producing the desired effects. This bomb 20 is not necessarily employed, but it may be used when'the conditions are such as to, render its use advantageous. The absence or presence of such conditions will be known to a skilled operator, and this knowledge will aid him in determining whether to use or not .to use the explosive bomb. When the bomb is not used, the charge of the breech 17 is exploded and fired upward into the atmosphere to produce the desired disturbances.

19 is an outer or major barrel 23, which is fastened by bayonet-shits 23, engaging the pins 17 or other pin s similar thereto, if it be desired to provide separate pins for each of the barrels 19 and In order to give a swirling or turningpnovement to the charge as it passes from the mortar, I fasten within or form on the inner surface of the outer or major barrel" 23 a number of spiral ribs 2-1. These ribs nfay be of any form desired and fastened byany means, the sole essentiality being thatthe'y be capable of imparting a swirling or turning movement to the expanding gases as they rush through and from the barrel, This turning or swirling movement tends to produce a peculiar disturbance of the atmosphere, which facilitates the attainment of the object of my invention. It is not necessary, however, for me to go at length into a discussion of thepecnliar conditions which exist and the effect of the explosion upon them.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as maylie within the scope of the claims;

Having thus desc ibed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Held on the breech 17 of the inner barrelbreech mounted thereon, a vertically-mov able breech block, means for raising the breech block into engagement with the breech and a barrel supported on the breech.

2. A concussion-mortar having a base, a

breech supported thereon, a verlically'ui'ow ably mounted breech-block below the breech, and a barrel carried by the breech.

3. Jh COllCllSSlOll-HlOltfil' having a base, a breech supported on the base and spaced therefrom, a breech-block, and means for mounting the breech-block to move vertically toward and from the breech.

4. A concussion-mortar, having'a breech,

two barrels carried by the breech and ar- I ranged one within the'other, the inner barrel being capable of carrying a bomb and a vertically movable. breech block .below the breech.

5. A concussion-mortar, having a flaring barrel with one or more spiral-form ribs arranged along'dts inner surface, for the purpose specified.

6. A concussion-mortar having a. base, a breech, a carrier, means for adjustably mounting the carrier, :1. key adapted to engage beneath the carrier to hold it raised to operative position, and a breech-block sup ported on the carrier.

I 7. A concussion-mortar, having -a breech, and an inner or minor barrel and an outer or major barrel, the inner barrel being cylindrical and the outer barrel being flaring and non provided with spiral ribs on its inner surface.

8. A concussion-mortar havinga hollow base with upwardly-extended oppositely-dis posed side walls forming cheek-pieccs,a carrier vertically movable between the cheekpieces, means for sustaining the carrier in raised or operative position, a breech-block supported on the carricr-,and a breech mounted, on the base over the breech-block.

9. A concussion-mortar having a base, op: posite side walls of which are/projected upward to' form cheek-pieces, a carrier vertically movable between the cheek-pieces, a key adapted to fit beneath the carrier to sustain the same on the base, a breech mounted on the base over the carrier, and a breechblock held bylhe carrier and working with the breech.

10. A concussion-mortar having a base, a carrier vertically *movable, thereon, a bed slidably mounted on the par'rier, a breechblock held by the bed, and a breech mounted on the base over the carrier.

11. In a concussion-mortar, the combina:

,tion with a base, and a breech carrying a. barrel, said breech being supported on the base and spaced therefrom, of a breech-block slidably mounted in the base, means for raising the breech-block into engagement with the breech, and means for locking the breechblock in its raised position, substantially as ,described.

12. In a concussion-mortar, the combina tion with a base, and a breech carrying a ar rel, said breech being supported on the base and spaced therefrom, of a carrier mounted to slide vertically in the base, a breech-block on the carrier, means for raising the carrier to bring the breech-block into engagement with the br'eech, and means for locking the 7 carrier in its raised position, substantially as described. 4

13. In a concussion-mortar, the combina-' tion with a base, and a movable breech block carried by the base, of a breech supported on the base, and a barrel detachably secured upon the outer surface of the breech, substantially as described.

14. In a concussion-mortar, th'e combination'with a base, and breech-block movably 'mounted in the base, of a breech supported on the base, and an inner and outer barrel detachably secured upon the outer surface of the breech, the inner barrel being cylindrical 26 and the outer one flaring, substantially as described.

15. In a concussion-mortar, thecombina tion with a base, and a breech-block movably mounted in the base, of a. breech supported 25 on the base, and two barrels detachably's'e cured to the breech, the inneibarrel being cylindrical and the outer one flaring and provided with spiral ribs'on its inner surface,

substantially as described. 36 

